Scenes from the Abbey
by RMK1983
Summary: Just various scenes that have popped into my head while watching the show. Mostly revolving around Anna and Bates. Some canon, some not. Most are going to be short. ALL spoilers apply.
1. Chapter 1

Lady Mary and her village, post season 3

Tiredly, Lady Mary made her way down the hallway, away from her bedroom and toward the sound of her crying baby. Normally, her infant son, George, was cared for overnight by his nanny, but her mother had taken ill and she was away from the house for the next several days. The maids were taking turn with George during her absence, but when Mary heard his little cries from the nursery, she felt compelled to go and see to her son.

As she neared the nursery that George shared with his cousin, Sybil, Mary realized that the crying had stopped. She reached for the door handle, but before she could turn it, the door opened and Anna, her ladies maid, emerged from the room.

"Anna. I didn't realize you were taking a turn caring for George." Mary was surprised, but grateful. Anna was just beginning her own pregnancy and was still working as hard as ever. Mary didn't know how she managed time or the energy to care for George as well.

Anna smiled at her gently, "Not officially, milady. Mr. Bates and I were on our way out actually, when we heard him crying."

"Well, thank you for seeing to him. I suppose he's sleeping now?" Mary was not sure if she was relieved or disappointed that her baby no longer needed her to soothe him.

"Well," Anna shot her a shy smile, "It wasn't just me, milady."

"What?" Mary was confused. Something made the baby stop crying. If not Anna, then who?

"You know that sometimes, on Nanny's half day, George spends the night at our cottage with us."

**"No," Mary replied softly, "I didn't know. That's very kind of you." Mary knew that the circumstances surrounding her baby's birth and her husband's death had made her a bit disconnected from the goings on at the house, but she hadn't realized it was that bad. **

Anna allowed her thanks to go by without comment. Instead she cracked the nursery door so Mary could see inside.

"We discovered quite by accident that George is quite the lover of literature; but only when Mr. Bates is reading to him aloud."

As Mary's eyes adjusted to the dim light in the nursery, she beheld an amazing sight. Sitting in the little nursery rocker, with her baby laying on his chest, was John Bates, her father's valet and Anna's husband. He was reading by the light of the small table lamp, reciting the words in a hushed tone.

Anna peeked in around her. "I suspect he likes the vibrations in his chest."

"Yes." Mary breathed. Hearing the pair, John looked up and smiled at them. The baby in his arms squirmed at his silence and let out a little, discontented cry.

"There, there," the big man holding the tiny baby said, before picking up the book and starting again. The babe quieted almost immediately, soothed by the deep cadence of his voice.

Silently, Mary pulled the door back closed. Turning to Anna in the hallway, she wiped away a tear that was forming.

"You must thank Mr. Bates for me. I'm sure nannying was not a part of the deal when he agreed to be my father's valet."

Anna bit her lip. "The first time I brought George home with me, we had some trouble getting him to stop crying and go to sleep. It was then that we discovered this little trick. I apologized to John afterward, thinking it must have been a nuisance for him to have to take care of a baby I brought home. Do you know what he said?"

"No, what did he say?" Mary asked, intrigued.

"He said, 'Mr. Matthew helped take care of you while I was in prison, and I shall now endeavor to do the same for Lady Mary and George in his absence.'"

**Touched, Mary turned away from Anna to collect herself. Before she turned back, the nursery door opened again and their topic of conversation joined them in the hall. "Well, I think he's down for now." he whispered. **

All of a sudden, Mary turned on her heel and threw her arms around John's neck, squeezing him tightly. Taken aback, John patted her on the back awkwardly until she just as abruptly let go and pushed herself away. "Well, good night, and thank you." Without another word, Lady Mary quickly made her way back down the hall and out of sight.

John stared at Anna in amazement. "What was that about?"

Anna smiled and took his arm as they walked the opposite direction down the hall.

She touched the small roundness of her stomach gently before responding. "You're going to be a good father, John Bates. That is what that was about."


	2. Gwen

**This one is a little sad. Mostly, when I write about Vera, I torment her with A&B's happiness, but this deals with the time Bates was in London, in his "fog of misery." What if he had seen someone from his life at Downton?**

Gwen couldn't believe her eyes when she'd seen the name on the work order. Mr. and Mrs. John Bates were requesting that a telephone be placed in their home in London. It had to be him. How many John Bates could there be? And Gwen remembered that Mr. Bates' mother lived in London. But Mrs. John Bates? She knew he and Anna were sweet on each other, but could she have missed a marriage between the two? She and Anna still exchanged letters from time to time, but their mutual busy lifestyles and the war had made letters few and far between recently.

Excited at the prospect of seeing her dear old friend again, Gwen rushed off to find her boss. "Mr. Martin, would you mind terribly if I accompanied you to the Bates appointment on Friday? Mrs. Bates is a dear friend and I would love to see her."

Her boss looked at her quizzically. "Bates...yes, I remember. It was Mrs. Bates who called requesting the appointment. I don't see that it would be a problem if you came along."

"Thank you, thank you sir." Gwen gave a little excited bob and scurried back to her desk.

Albert Martin watched her leave with a confused frown on his face. Gwen had worked for him for a year and was a sweet, kind girl. He could not imagine how she could ever be friends with a nasty woman like Vera Bates.

Gwen dressed carefully on the morning of the appointment. She was so excited to see Anna. To give her a giant hug and also give her what for for not saying anything about marrying Mr. Bates. She shook her head; how could she have missed that?

By the time she and Mr. Martin reached the modest looking brownstone, Gwen was almost shaking with excitement.

He knocked on the door and Gwen heard the familiar step tap sound of Mr. Bates walking with his cane. She couldn't contain her smile. What would he say when he saw her?

The door creaked open and Gwen breath caught as she took in the sight of the man standing before her. It was Mr. Bates alright, but nothing like the Mr. Bates she knew. He looked thin, gaunt and gray. It took a full second after he'd opened the door before he lifted his eyes to really look at them. When he did, he gasped.

"Gwen?" His voice was quiet.

She smiled at him warmly. Maybe he was ill, and that was the reason Anna hadn't mentioned anything to her. "Hello Mr. Bates."

Her boss took over all of a sudden. "Mr. Bates, we're here to see about installing your phone."

Mr. Bates nodded slightly, "Come in."

He allowed them to walk past him into the small entryway. As Gwen walked by she grasped his upper arm. "Is Anna here? It's been ever so long since I've seen her. The work order did say Mr. and Mrs. John Bates. Why didn't either of you tell me you got married? "She grinned at him, teasing, but instead of returning her smile, Bates blanched. "No," he said quietly, "Anna isn't here."

Turning from them he raised his voice to speak to someone in the other room. "Vera, the phone people are here."

Facing them again, he gave Gwen a pleading look. "I am sorry Gwen. I'll be in the library if you need me."

Shoulders slumped, he made his way out of the room as dark, voluptuous, brassy Vera made her way into it.

"Mr. Martin! It's about time you got here! Let me show you where the phone is going to be put."

Stunned, Gwen followed silently, trying to ignore the hate filled stares Vera Bates was giving her. She tried her hardest to fade into the background until the appointment was done.

As she and Mr. Martin made their way back down the street outside of the house, Gwen heard Vera's hysterical voice from an open window. She couldn't help but pause to listen. "I saw you making eyes at that girl! Don't tell me you weren't."

Mr. Bates' voice followed at a level and a tone Gwen wouldn't have thought him capable. "For God sakes Vera! She used to work at Downton. She just came to say hello."

"Downton?" Vera's screening voice hurt Gwen's ears. "I suppose she's a friend of you little tramp's, isn't she?"

Mr. Bates was shouting now. "Yes, she is a friend of Anna's. She came because she thought 'Mrs. Bates' meant Anna. And I wish to God it did!"

Vera cackled coldly. "Well, we all know that isn't going to happen, is it Johnny?"

Mr. Martin, noticing that she had fallen behind, back tracked and took her arm, gently leading her away from the house. "Not quite what you were expecting?"

"No," Gwen whispered, trying desperately to hold back her tears. "That is not what I was expecting. Poor Mr. Bates."


	3. And Baby Bates Makes Three

**Thanks everyone for all of the great responses and reviews! I am enjoying writing this, and I am glad you are enjoying reading it too! This chapter is SICKING it's so sweet, and I wrote it. It deals with baby Bates again. It's a little rough because I didn't go back and edit beyond misspelled words and obvious awkward parts, but here it is.**

**Many of you have said that you are hoping to see baby Bates in S4. I agree that it would be very sweet for John and Anna to have a baby, but I just don't see it happening in "reality." Baby Bates won't be like Baby Crawley or Baby Branson who can be shipped off to nanny until they're needed for a plot point. Anna is going to have to care for that baby 24/7 and that would really change the dynamic of the house. **

**So, anyway, my 2 cents about Baby Bates. Sorry if I burst your bubble. Enjoy this sappy little number as a consolation prize. **

John Bates paced the halls outside the wing of guest rooms in Downton Abbey. Inside one room, he heard the agonizing sounds of his wife, struggling to give birth to their first child. It had been 15 hours since Anna had made her way from their small cottage to the big house to announce that her labor had started. Lady Mary had insisted, months ago, that when the time came, if she was able, Anna was to come to the house. She wanted to help tend to her former maid and friend as Anna had tended to her when she had given birth to her son. It would be easier, she had persuaded them, for the doctor to be fetched when needed and in the aftermath, Bates would be able to check on her as much as he wanted throughout the work day without having to walk all the way back to their cottage.

Now that the time was at hand, John was very glad that they had agreed. He had sat with Anna until Dr. Clarkson arrived, then he had been shoo'd out of the room. If he had been at home, he would have nothing to distract him at all. At Downton, there was always something going on. He had dinner with the servants, had sat in the library with his Lordship for a time, his employer amused by his former batman's nerves.

But now, so many hours in, John was worried that something was wrong. It had been so long. He could hear Anna groaning with pain and effort. The door opened and Lady Mary came out looking concerned.

"What's going on? How is she?" Bates cornered her, forgetting for a moment that she had been tending to Anna for as many hours as he had been waiting.

Lady Mary smiled wainly. "She's tired. The baby seems to be big and she's having a hard time getting him out."

John sunk down onto a chair that had been placed in the hallway for him. "I have been so afraid that this would happen. She's so small and Dr. Clarkson has said from the beginning that the baby is big." He dropped his head, feeling helpless.

Lady Mary placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Anna is a fighter, you know that as well as anyone. She's going to be fine. Before too long, you're going to have a great, hearty baby yowling for your attention."

She gave him a pat and moved off to collect more towels and to tell her family how things were progressing.

Inside the birthing room, Anna wasn't feeling nearly as optimistic as he friend had been. She was tired, so tired she could hardly lift her head from the pile of pillows supporting her back, let alone push with the kind of force Dr. Clarkson was insisting on. She wished John was here. She felt another contraction coming on and she gritted her teeth against it.

"Push Anna. Push." Dr. Clarkson instructed her.

"I'm pushing!" She panted, as the contraction ebbed, seemingly without making much head way.

Mrs. Crawley, who had been assisting, opened the door to step out into the hall and she heard John's deep voice pleading with her to let him know what was going on.

All of a sudden, Anna couldn't help herself. Dr. Clarkson had said that John wouldn't be allowed in because he would just get in the way, but Anna needed him. "John, I need you." She sobbed, not even sure that she had spoken loudly enough for him to hear her in the hall.

But he did hear her, appearing that moment in the doorway, filling the space with a determined look on his face.

Dr. Clarkson sputtered, "Mr. Bates, I really need you to wait in the hall. "

John didn't seem to hear him as he made his way to Anna's side. "I'm here, love."

Mrs. Crawley, who had followed behind John hushed the doctor. "She's exhausted. If he can give her the strength to keep pushing, we stand a better chance of everything coming out successfully."

John moved some of the pillows from behind Anna and sat behind her on the bed, supporting her with his body. Her head lowled against his neck. "I'm so tired John."

John took the cool rag Mrs. Crawley had provided him with and blotted her forehead. "I know you are. Just a little more and we'll have our baby in our arms. I'm going to help you, ok?"

Anna nodded as her body clenched against another contraction. John's arms tightened around her, his mouth close to her ear, whispering encouragements.

Dr. Clarkson was still commanding her to "Push, Anna!" but all Anna heard was John's voice in her ear. "You are the strongest woman I know. You can do this. You've always found the strength to do what is hard, in order to ensure our happiness. You're doing it again and I am so proud of you. You can do this Anna, I know you can."

As the contraction eased, Anna could hear Dr. Clarkson once again. "One more Anna, and the head will be out. One more."

Anna took a deep breath and once again blocked out everything except for the sound of John's voice and the feel of his arms holding her tightly. "You're amazing, Anna. This is amazing. You're so strong. Once this is over, you can rest as much as you need to." She heard him gasp and his voice dropped to an amazed whisper. "There it is Anna, our baby's head. Look at all of that hair. You're doing it my love, you're doing it."

Moments later, Anna felt a great relief as the baby's body was eased from hers. She sank back against John, utterly exhausted. She opened her eyes only when she heard the first loud squall from her baby.

"It's a boy!" Dr. Clarkson announced, "a great, healthy, big boy!"

Mrs. Crawley wrapped the baby as Dr. Clarkson helped Anna deliver her placenta and cleaned her up. All the time, John kept his arms around Anna, but his eyes glued to the new little life being held by Mrs. Crawley.

"Would you like to hold him?" The older woman asked Anna. Anna nodded, but when she lifted her arms to take the baby, they were visibly shaking from her earlier exertion. She dropped them in defeat, not wanting to risk dropping her new baby. John saw her disappointment and kissed her temple. "We'll do it together."

Gently, Mrs. Crawley laid the baby in Anna's arms, which were being cradled by John's arms.

Together, they stared down into the face of their new baby. "You did it." John whispered to her. Anna smiled and turned her head to look into his face. "We did John. You and me."


	4. Ethel

**Sorry about another shortie. I have a few longer ones in the works, but these fall together so much more easily. **

**Anna lectures Ethel for interrupting her conversation with Mr. Bates after his proposal. Season 2. **

Anna gave her roommate a fierce glare as she entered their room to find Ethel reading by candlelight. "Didn't know you realized you were allowed to read in your own room." She muttered.

She was quiet and kept her mouth closed as she changed into her nightgown and readied herself for bed.

"What's with you?" Ethel asked.

Anna sighed before responding. Ethel could be obtuse at the best of times and was totally self-involved at the others.

"It's just, you interrupted a very private conversation earlier Ethel." She hoped that the other maid would let the issue drop.

"With Mr. Bates?" She smirked at Anna. "When I asked you who he was, you didn't tell me he was sweet on you."

"Because it's none of your business." Anna retorted, annoyed that Ethel was ruining her good mood.

Ethel just raised her eyebrows and didn't respond.

Anna laid back in bed and closed her eyes, replaying the evening. Mr. Bates' hopeful face, telling her that he could finally get a divorce, that light in his eyes, for the first time, believing they could really be together. He was serious, having already spoken with Lord Grantham as to what could be arranged. She felt her face flush as she remembered the soft way his lips had touched hers, just for a few moments, before he had pulled her into a tight embrace.

He had been so sweet, later on in the servants' hall, telling her about his vision for their future. She could tell he'd thought a lot about it. About being with her. He may have kept his feelings guarded, but his thoughts had been filled with the possibilities of their life together, of that she was now sure.

Anna sighed and smiled, forgetting for a moment that Ethel was in the room. "He proposed to me tonight. He wants to marry me."

Ethel snorted, "And you accepted? What, has he got money or something?"

Anna heaved a huge sigh. Ethel just didn't understand. She was too full of her grand plans for the future to notice the opportunities that lay in normal, everyday, beautiful things like the person you love, loving you back. She turned over in bed with her back to her roommate, closing her eyes and keeping all further thought about Mr. Bates to herself.


	5. Heroes and White Feathers

**In case you noticed, I changed the title of my stories. I inadvertently used a title that someone else had already used. I don't want to step on anyone's toes, so I changed mine. **

**As for this story, I'm not sure it's fleshed out all the way, but whatever. I was watching the concert scene when those girls interrupt and noticed for the first time that Bates jumps out of his chair when one of them gives William the feather. **

_"These people should know there are cowards among them."_

_"You are the cowards!" Lord Grantham shouted. _

Bates jumped as quickly as he could from the chair where he had been sitting, intent to defend William from any further attack from these sorely confused women who had crashed the benefit concert.

He was seething. Who were these women, to speak of who was and was not a coward. They could have hardly been born during the last war England was involved with. They knew nothing of the blood and the sweat and the fear that came along with being a "hero." He knew, all too well, and he was far from a hero. He knew William was anxious to enlist and join the fight, but if John Bates had his way, he would wrap William in cotton and hide him away until this nightmare war was over. No King and no country was worth losing William to.

He might not want William to go fight and die, but he'd be damned if he was going to let some know nothing girl call him a coward.

The girl left William and approached him, shoving a feather at his chest. Bates nodded his head toward his cane leaned against the chair and growled at the girl. "Watch who you're calling a coward. I gave full use of my leg to the king fighting the Boers before you were even born. I think I'll sit this one out."

The girl blanched and walked swiftly out of the ballroom.


	6. Heroes and White Feathers Part 2

**Thanks Melissa for the prompting for part 2! **

**I spent the weekend at a business conference so I had a lot of time to daydream about various scenes, but not much time to write. Hopefully, in the next couple of days, I will be able to flesh out all of those ideas.**

**Thanks everyone for the lovely responses! **

Anna found him after the concert, in the courtyard, just like they had arranged earlier. He was leaned against the stack of crates, his cane propped up next to him.

She didn't say anything, just wrapped her arm around his and stood quietly, listening to him breathing deeply, trying to calm himself.

"I'm sorry I caused a scene." He said finally.

Anna slid her hands down his arm until she gripped his hand tightly. "You didn't cause any scene. Those girls did."

She contemplated for a moment before speaking again. "I wish they knew who they tried to accuse of being a coward. Wouldn't they be surprised?"

Bates shook his head sadly. "I'm not a hero Anna. I only joined the army to get away from Vera. It was the only way I felt like I could escape her without abandoning my responsibilities the way my father did. I didn't have the sense of patriotism that his lordship had, that William has now. I was trying to escape."

Anna rubbed his arm. "I'm not talking about the war, silly man. I'm talking about you."

John glanced up sharply but didn't interrupt her as she continued to speak.

"There are men who would have abandoned an unhappy marriage, not go to war, put themselves in danger, and still sent money home to support a wife he didn't want to live with. Even after, when _she _had abandoned _you_ and left you to prison for her crimes, you didn't forsake her, even when it hurt you. You rebuilt your life, overcoming one obstacle after another. You became a man anyone would be proud to know."

"You are too kind to me Anna. It's more than I deserve."

"You're wrong. You deserve every good thing. You're a good man. I won't hear anyone say otherwise, even you. So watch your tongue Mr. Bates, you're talking about the man I'm in love with."

Bates passed a hand over his face. "Oh Anna, I wish I could see myself the way you see me. You make me want to live up to your expectations."

"You are my hero, John Bates, and I will spend every day reminding you of that, if you'll let me."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, his heart hammering in his chest. "That's one of the things I want to talk to you about. While I was in London, I saw Vera."

"What? When?"

_"She just turned up at my mother's house, not long before she died."_


	7. Scotland

John Bates watched his wife dance, enthralled by her every move. Lady Mary had said she was marvelous and she was right. She finished her dance and rejoined her group looking flushed and happy.

"Anna! That was amazing! When did you learn to reel?" Lady Mary gushed with jealousy over how happy her maid had looked, dancing as she wished she could do.

"Lady Rose taught me, earlier this week." Anna glanced at John who had not said a word, but was staring at her with total adoration.

The band started a slightly less lively song and Mary grabbed Matthew's hand. "This dance is fairly calm. Come and dance with me, just this one."

"Mary..." Matthew warned his wife, but allowed her to drag him out into the crowd.

Anna turned to her husband. "Well, what did you think of your surprise?" She asked cheekily.

John took a deep breath. "I think that you look flushed. We should go outside so you can get some air."

Anna recognized the look in his eye and the set of his jaw and knew that her mission had been a success. He had been out of prison for a year, almost as long as he had been there, but they both still felt like they had a lot of lost time to make up for. John had been amazing during their first private moments together, gently revealing the wonders of intimacy to her. She had been keen to reciprocate, wearing garters and trying to find other ways to tantalize and seduce her husband.

The look on his face as he led her out of Duneagle Castle into the cool Scottish night was thoroughly tantalize and seduced.

They walked in silence for a short distance, until they rounded the wide pillar that supported the upper walkway of the castle.

Anna was no more out of sight of the house than John was on her hungrily, his hot mouth on her throat a delicious contrast to the cold stone against her back.

Anna moaned as John groped under her skirt in the dark. He growled against her neck, eliciting a giggle from her. "John," Anna breathed.

"Yes, my love?" Anna could tell that John was having a hard time talking and she loved that she could push him that far out of control. "Do you think if we make our baby in Scotland, it will inherit all of your Scottish blood?"

John's concentration was broken as he laughed as well. He leaned his forearms on the stone on either side of her head and leaned close to her. "Yes. Absolutely. We will have to name it Duncan or Kenneth if it was a boy, Moira or Freya if a girl. She would be beautiful, dark haired child with a brough thicker than Mrs. Hughes, despite the fact we would raise the wee lass in Yorkshire."

He resumed kissing her neck, though his pace was much less frantic than it had been. They were after all, in public, more or less. Anna however, had other plans. "John." She breathed again, pulling his mouth to hers for a hot kiss. "Let's make a little Scottish Bates tonight."

There were no more words spoken between them after that as they came together for a little Duncan or Freya while the people still dancing in the house were none the wiser.


	8. Molesley Torture

**My brain was doing some serious Molesley torture over the weekend. Poor Molesley, he's such a mild mannered, nice guy and I am awful to him. Oh Well. **

Moseley torture when the servants are discussing having babies when Lady Sybil is in labor.

_"I think I'd want to be in the city..."_

_"Far away from everyone you know and trust? I don't think I would."_

Alfred Molesley's head whipped up from behind the newspaper he had been reading, focusing on the woman who had spoken last. Thankfully, Mrs. Patmore began scolding Ivy for talking about babies and no one noticed his sudden interest in the conversation.

Molesley swallowed hard at the thought of Anna having a baby. In his mind's eye, he saw her, sitting at the table in the servant's hall, as she was now, her stomach round and soft, a new life growing inside her. He could imagine placing his hands on that bump, feeling the child move within her. She would be such a good mother. She was kind and funny, beautiful, smart and hardworking.

Molesley could see her, bouncing a beautiful, blonde baby on her knee. He drew a deep breath, trying to keep his calm. He closed his eyes briefly, allowing the scene to play behind his eyelids.

Opening his eyes to look at her again, Moseley caught sight of Anna taking a drink of her tea, oblivious to the fantasies in which she played the lead role. She lowered her cup, the gold ring on her left hand reflecting an errant ray of light.

Moseley's fingers clenched the edges of the newspaper as a white hot pain shot through his stomach at this reminder of reality. Anna was married to Mr. Bates. It was an undeniable truth, no matter how final his imprisonment seemed. If Anna were to ever have children, they would be Mr. Bates' children. If he were never released from prison, she would probably never have children. If he were, it would be he who would be allowed to touch the growing child inside her, he who would see Anna nursing that child at her breast. Any child Anna bore would be as likely to look like the dark haired valet as it would herself. The best Moseley could hope for would be to watch her happiness unfold from a distance.

Lost in his ruminations, he hadn't noticed Anna looking at him with concern. "Mr. Molesley, are you quite alright?"

"What? Yes, I am quite fine." He lifted the now crumpled newspaper to cover his face. For now, Anna was here, and Mr. Bates was not. There would be no child for the foreseeable future. That would have to be enough. Silently, Molesley hated himself for being please at that prospect.


	9. Garters

**I am running out of prewritten scenes…going to have to get back to it soon. Maybe this weekend, I'll be able to finish some of the longer ones I have been working on. **

**This is chapter 2 of my torturing Molesley, though I am nicer to him in this chapter. **

John Bates stretched, checking the time on his pocket watch as he waited for his wife in the parlor of their small cottage. It was the evening of the annual servants' ball and if she didn't hurry up, they were going to be late.

"Anna!" He called up the stairs, the tone of his voice pleading with her to hurry up. He was about to climb the stairs to move her along when there was a knock at their door.

"Mr. Molesley." John was surprised to see the other man standing at his door. To his knowledge, the valet had never been to his and Anna's home.

"Hello, Mr. Bates. I was just walking up to the big house and I noticed that you were still here, so I thought I'd walk with you."

"Oh, that's nice. We can leave if Anna would hurry up." Bates knew that since Mr. Crawley's death, Mr. Molesley had moved back to Crawley House as the butler for Mrs. Crawley and was lonely for the hustle and bustle of the big house. He also knew that, once upon a time, he had been very sweet on Anna and that annoyed him.

"Tea, Mr. Molesley?" John poured himself a cup from a tepid pot left over from earlier in the evening, trying to be patient, both with his wife's dallying and with Molesley's intrusion.

"Yes, why not." Molesley replied.

"John!" Anna finally called down the stairs. "Black or Purple tonight, do you think?"

Bates almost choked on the swig of tea he had just drunk. It was unusual enough for any of the other servants to hear her call him by his Christian name, but he **knew **what she was asking, and it was **not** a mental image he wanted in Molesley's head. A quick glance toward Molesley revealed a blessedly ignorant expression. "Anna, Mr. Molesley is here. Just decide for yourself."

He heard her traipsing lightly down the stairs and knew she was not taking his advice. She peeked her head in the door and smiled politely at Molesley.

"Hello Mr. Molesley." Turning to her husband, she gave him a pointed look only he could decipher. "John, black or purple?"

"Black dear, stick with the classics."

"Alright, I'll just be a minute." She climbed the stairs back up and returned in less than two minutes. The three left the Bates' cottage and made their way to the Abbey for the festivities.

Chatting excitedly with Anna, Mr. Molesley did not notice that he husband was unusually quiet, but Anna noticed.

Toward the end of the evening, Mr. Molesley stole a dance from Anna. Anna took the opportunity to find her husband with her eyes and give him a naughty wink. Bates felt a little bad for Molesley. He knew he was enjoying dancing with Anna, but John knew that her thoughts were all for him.

Later on, after the ball was over and they returned to their snug cottage, minus the extra valet, John Bates slowly pulled the black garter off of his wife's pretty thigh. "Anna, my dear, you are going to be the death of me."


	10. The Obligatory Broken Couch Scene

**This will probably be the last of these short scenes for a while. I hate to leave a longer fic unfinished and so I will be focusing on finishing my other before I come back to this. That being said, I do have some half scenes already written, so if I get inspired, I may just make myself a liar. **

**I hope you like it!**

_Just you being in this room is enough to make it nice. _

_Come here. _

John pulled Anna in and kissed her deeply. Anna felt her knees grow weak as he turned them around to sit on the ragged settee Mrs. Bowe had left in the cottage. John's kisses had always left her weak kneed and lightheaded, but never more so than in the past week, since they had finally been reunited after such a long separation.

Anna grabbed the lapels on his jacket as they dropped down onto the settee. Neither expected the legs to break off under their weight and they were reduced to breathless giggles as the bottom of the settee bounced hard off of the floor.

John leaned over and grinned at her. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

"Charmer." Anna teased softly. She had known lots of things about John Bates when she married him, but she hadn't known this side of him. The side that would grab her up and kiss her then continue the seduction on a broken settee. Before their marriage, his kisses were always measured; he took great care to not let things between them get out of control. After their marriage was a totally different story and Anna loved it. She never felt as wonderful and cherished as she did under John's attentive gaze.

Anna was broken from her musings by John's lips on her face. "I mean it Anna." His lips grazed her skin as he spoke. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. It amazes me every day that you're here with me; that you love me."

Anna rolled her head back to allow him better access to her neck. They had not been like this in so long and it felt amazing. As much as they had laughed at Lord Grantham's suggestion that John, "stay in bed," and "read books" the truth of the matter was that his first week back, John had been exhausted. Once the excitement of being back at Downton had warn off, it was all he could do some days to stay awake. But now, he was back to work and they had their cottage, however a shambles it might currently have been in. Anna planned to take full advantage of having her husband back.

John was mumbling something incomprehensible against her neck. "John," Anna breathed.

John pulled back from her and looked into her face with a slightly guilty expression. "Is this too fast? I'm sorry love, I just got caught up."

Anna sighed a disbelieving sigh and pulled her to him, kissing him with as much passion as she felt in her body. "This is a year in the making, it couldn't happen quickly enough."

John still wasn't convinced. "Are you sure, because we can wait until we've moved in properly..."

Anna leaned up, pushing him solidly on the chest until he was back against the back of the settee. She pulled her skirt up over her knees and straddled his lap in one fluid movement. "Mr. Bates, please stop talking."

"Yes Mrs. Bates." He murmured before her lips claimed his again.


	11. Unrestrained Passion

**Thanks to theglamorfades for making me a stinking liar. **

"So, Mr. Bates is...?"

"His Lordship's valet." Mrs. Hughes' brogue answered Miss Claremont, her Ladyship's new maid.

"Mr. Barrow doesn't seem to think much of him." The woman responded to the housekeeper.

Mrs. Hughes humphed under her breath. "There are a great many things Mr. Barrow doesn't think much of. Mr. Bates is a very kind man, very professional. Compared to Mr. Barrow, Mr. Bates is very...restrained."

Anna had stopped in the hall to listen to the conversation when she heard her husband's name mentioned. He had been in London for the past three days with his Lordship, and Miss Claremont had yet to meet him. She smiled at Mrs. Hughes' description of him. Kind and professional she agreed with wholeheartedly. Restrained? Anna grinned, if only they knew.

She hadn't actually realized how restrained he was until they had married. He had been restrained throughout their whole courtship, allowing himself only small kisses in the courtyard, an occasional hug to pass between them. She had married him thinking him to be an even tempered man. She learned differently on their wedding night.

The wolfish grin he had given her when he walked through the door of their borrowed honeymoon room had been her first encounter with John Bates unrestrained. Before she even had time to speak, he had caught her up in his arms and was kissing her with a hunger she hadn't known he possessed.

He had been as gentle and kind with her naiveté as she had expected him to be, but he had surprised her with the depth of his desire for her. By the time they were finished making love the first time, there was not a place on Anna's body that hadn't been thoroughly caressed and kissed. She remembered his eyes that night. Normally dark, they had looked as black as coal.

He had whispered unrestrained words in her ear that night, telling her how much he loved her, the things he wanted to do to her, the things he wanted her to do to him.

He had been unrestrained two days later, when he declared to her, in front of the whole staff that he loved her as they were clamping the handcuffs around his wrists to take him to jail.

He had been unrestrained that horrible day at the prison. That moment they thought would be their last to spend together. A lesser man might have let the sentence beat him and have felt sorry for himself, but John had kissed her without sadness, just tenderness and unrestrained love.

He had been unrestrained that first day in their new cottage, as they inspected the dingy walls and broken furniture left from the previous tenant. He had approached her with unmistakable intent and made love to her in the broad daylight on that broken old settee. Anna had been almost sorry to see it leave when they replaced it.

Yes, John Bates was a restrained sort of man, but Anna liked it that she was the only one who realized the depth of that restraint.

Later that night, Anna was still ruminating about the word "restrained" as it applied to her husband as she made a pot of tea, awaiting his imminent return from his trip with his Lordship. She heard the door open and shut as she was maneuvering the heavy teapot to the table. Before she could set it down and turn to greet John, she felt him pressed against her back, his arms coming around her waist.

"Hello Mrs. Bates." He whispered in her ear, kissing the lobe gently.

Anna was pleased to see him and answered brightly. "Hello stranger. Would you like some tea?"

"No, not tea." John removed his hands from around her and went to work on the buttons that ran down the back of her dress, his mouth latching on to every newly uncovered inch of skin.

"Mr. Bates," Anna teased, "you're just back from London. Don't you want to relax and shake a bit of the dust off?"

"Later." He muttered against her back.

When he had her buttons sufficiently undone, he turned her around in his arms and laid hot kisses against her collarbone.

"Don't you think we should move upstairs?" Anna asked, his attention making her a bit breathless.

John pulled back only slightly. "Not strictly necessary, but if you prefer." He pushed her gently through the door towards the stairs, patting her bottom playfully as she climbed them.

Much later, Anna lifted her head from where it rested on his bare chest. "You know, today, I heard Mrs. Hughes describe you as restrained. What would she say if she had seen the way you conducted yourself this evening? She'd have been shocked."

John just grinned at her, looking thoroughly amused. "I am restrained." He insisted. "I restrain myself from punching Thomas' teeth through his skull every day. I restrain myself from being wholly improper with you while we're at work. Think of all the times you offered to be my mistress, before we married! It took great restraint to refuse you, let me assure you."

"But," Anna leaned up and kissed his jaw softly. "You aren't restrained with me anymore."

John laughed, rolling them over so that he was on top of her. "No my dear, I take great pleasure in being unrestrained with you now."

As Anna succumbed to his advances for the second time that night, a fleeting thought ran through her mind; Mrs. Hughes didn't have any inkling of just how right she was in her assessment.


	12. Bathtub Blues

**Ok, I know that I said I was going to wait to update this until I was done with my other fic, but apparently, I can't stay away. My reasoning last time was that I had technically already written chapter 4 of the other fic. I have not written chapter 5, though I did just update my outline. **

**This little idea came to me this morning when I was half asleep in the shower, so forgive me if it's stupid.**

"Anna." John Bates called out quietly, shutting the door to the little cottage he shared with his wife of two years. He smiled to himself when he did not get a response.

_She must be sleeping. _He thought. At eight months pregnant, Dr. Clarkson had advised Anna to rest as much as possible. Not working had been bad enough for her to deal with, but sitting with her feet up for the majority of the day was driving his wife stir crazy. He was glad that she was actually getting some rest today.

He hung up his jacket and poked his head into the small parlor where she liked to nap in front of the fire. No Anna.

_That's strange..._

"Anna?" John began to climb the stairs to the second level of their home when he heard her calling.

"John!"

Her muffled voice alarmed him and he ascended the rest of the steps quickly and headed into the bedroom where he expected to find her. The room was also empty.

"Anna!" He called, louder and more urgently this time, concerned for her wellbeing.

"John!" Her voice answered from across the hall in their small washroom.

Crossing the hall and opening the door, John stopped dead with the sight before him. His beautiful wife, sitting in a bathtub full of water, her arms crossed over her chest, shivering violently.

"What are you doing?" He asked gently, not sure what the appropriate reaction would be.

Anna looked incensed and embarrassed all at the same time.

"I thought a bath would make me feel better, but when I was done, I couldn't get out. I tried to reach my towel but I slipped."

John bit his knuckle to keep from laughing. "So, you're stuck."

A furiously indignant look crossed Anna's face. "Yes, John Bates, your very pregnant wife is _**stuck**_ in the bathtub...for hours, mind you...so just keep laughing!"

A bark of laughter escaped from him uncontrollably and he clamped his hand over his mouth to prevent any more from escaping.

Crossing the room, he picked up Anna's towel from where is was laying and rested it on the side of the tub. Positioning his bad leg against the tub, he reached down and wrapped his arms around Anna. The water was _**cold**_ and he quickly pushed with his good leg to raise them both up.

Once Anna was on her own two feet, John wrapped the towel around her shoulders and helped her step out of the tub. She dried off quickly, still shivering and John draped her dressing gown around her.

Fully dressed, John took hold of Anna's hand and moved to kiss her palm in a gesture of comfort. Stopping before her hand reached his lips, he laughed again.

"What?" Anna asked, her ego still hurt.

"You're so pruney." John couldn't help but laugh, full and loud as he gestured to her hand.

"Oh, John." Much to his surprise, Anna began to cry.

"Anna, don't cry darling." John pulled her into his arms and began to rub soothing circles on her back as she sobbed.

"I am so fat that I can't even get out of the tub! I'm surprised you didn't need a winch and pulley to get me up! I can't work, I can't even walk around when I feel like it! I feel so useless!"

"Anna..." John whispered gently, "You're pregnant. Pretty soon, we'll have a beautiful baby and you'll be well on your way to feeling like yourself again." John felt a chuckle vibrate deep in his chest, threatening to betray him once again. "Until then," he swallowed another chuckle, "you'll just have to save your bathing to when I'm home."

Anna, her head on his chest, could feel the mirth he was trying to hide and it overwhelmed her tears. A small laugh escaped her, followed by more until they were both laughing heartily.

John took her by the hand to lead her out of the bathroom. "Come on, my beautiful pruney wife. Let's go down to the parlor and warm you up."


End file.
